Soumya tells us about being absentminded and forgetful, in this humorous column. An exclusive for Different Truths.

Being absentminded is the privilege of genius. We hear stories of the ridiculous stupidity and feeble-mindedness in everyday matters by such greats as Einstein and Newton and chuckle appreciatively. However, if we, of acknowledged mediocre intellect, should occasionally let things slip our mind, we are subjected to severe ridicule and harsh name-calling.

Being absentminded is the privilege of genius. We hear stories of the ridiculous stupidity and feeble-mindedness in everyday matters by such greats as Einstein and Newton and chuckle appreciatively. 

I, unfortunately, have suffered from this since childhood, and it shows no signs of improving when I am reaching the age where such senior moments can be attributed to the early onset of senility or Alzheimer’s. This has led to various problems ranging from mild inconvenience to brushes with the long arm of the law.

For instance, I can never remember my vehicle registration number, and in the days of manual security at public parking lots, I had often to peer inside all the cars to identify mine, raising suspicion, which became worse when on questioning I could not recollect the number. I was often subjected to rigorous questioning before being permitted to drive away in my own car. Nowadays, the remote lock has made the job of identifying my car easier.

It is worse when I am driving someone else’s car. I usually have no recollection of the make or model either. Once when driving a colleagues car while mine was at the workshop, I panicked on reaching a parking lot with a sea of vehicles. Finally, I realised that as a recent arrival from another state, his plates will bear that states number. The rest was simple.

What is worse, in those days, most cars of the same make could be opened by the same key, if the vehicle was old. Once, when visiting my parents, I had borrowed my dad’s car and taken my kids to the market. Returning laden with packets and a child in tow, I opened the door of what I thought was my dad’s Maruti and proceeded to load the shopping. A gentleman came over and asked if there is a problem.

What is worse, in those days, most cars of the same make could be opened by the same key, if the vehicle was old. Once, when visiting my parents, I had borrowed

my dad’s car and taken my kids to the market. Returning laden with packets and a child in tow, I opened the door of what I thought was my dad’s Maruti and proceeded to load the shopping. A gentleman came over and asked if there is a problem. I thanked him and asked him to mind, my child, while I arranged the packets. This done I thanked him, sat my daughter in the back seat and got in myself. The stunned gentleman protested, “But this is my car!”

Profuse apologies later, and the clinching argument that I would hardly be committing grand theft auto with shopping and a child in tow, and finally on discovering the right car parked nearby, I convinced him that I was not a criminal. But he may have been harbouring a doubt that I was criminally insane.

The other issue is I always drive on autopilot. Once the route has been uploaded on what passes for my mind, I don’t have to consciously plan the drive. Thus, as I used to drop my wife off on my way to work, that’s how I went, irrespective of whether she was in the car or not.

The other issue is I always drive on autopilot. Once the route has been uploaded on what passes for my mind, I don’t have to consciously plan the drive. Thus, as I used to drop my wife off on my way to work, that’s how I went, irrespective of whether she was in the car or not. I usually realised that she’s not thereafter I had parked by her office and waited for her to get off. I may have been suspected of being a stalker by some of her colleagues.

Ditto when dropping my daughter off to school. I think the authorities had a lookout for the potential paedophile that stops his car outside the school, sheepishly looks around and drives off.

On the pervert front, my reputation takes a beating by another nasty betrayal of my mind. Being an incurable multitasker, I am usually on my computer when I have called someone on the phone and waiting for them to pick up. So that by the time the response comes, I have completely forgotten who I have called or why.

On the pervert front, my reputation takes a beating by another nasty betrayal of my mind. Being an incurable multitasker, I am usually on my computer when I have called someone on the phone and waiting for them to pick up. So that by the time the response comes, I have completely forgotten who I have called or why. As I desperately try to identify the voice and remember what it was I needed, the person at the other end shouts, “Hello hello!” whilst listening to my heavy breathing.

When I call my secretary for some work, I may be involved with something else by the time she arrives, and I stare at her asking why I called her. I think till she knew me better she may have been convinced I was the stereotyped evil boss looking her over. I am glad I didn’t face harassment charges.

But what almost brought about a crisis in our marriage was when I was giving a lift back from work to a colleague and the ‘Lady of the House’ (LOH) was in the backseat. When I stopped to drop the colleague, she had got off to come over to the front. Blissfully unaware, I drove off home, leaving her stranded midway, without money as her purse was in the backseat.

But what almost brought about a crisis in our marriage was when I was giving a lift back from work to a colleague and the ‘Lady of the House’ (LOH) was in the backseat. When I stopped to drop the colleague, she had got off to come over to the front. Blissfully unaware, I drove off home, leaving her stranded midway, without money as her purse was in the backseat. I realised this only when she came home in a cab, and she icily asked me for money to pay off the taxi.

Fortunately, my marriage survives to this day, no doubt as I forget the many hints dropped about the reconsideration of options from my long-suffering LOH.

Photo sourced by the author and from the Internet